Car-fender



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'. G. HIPWOOD, H. O. BARRETT & S. PORTER.

GAR FENDER.

Patented Oct. 31,1893.

Clam n2,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. HIPWOOD, 1-1. 0. BARRETT & S.'PORTER. GAR FENDER.

No. 507,655. Patented Oct. 31, 1893.

II I o UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HIPWOOD, HORATIO o. BARRETT, AND STEPHEN PORTER, 0F

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,655, dated October31, 1893.

Application filed July 11, 1892. Renewed September 30. 1893, Serial No.486,912. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE HIPWOOD, HORATIO O. BARRETT, and STEPHENPORTER, all of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk, State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders, ofwhich the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exactto enable any person skilled in the art or science to which saidinvention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion of a car platform withour improved fender depressed into position for use; Fig. 2 a top planview of the same; Fig. 3 a sectional view of one of the tilting shoes;Fig. 4. a view similar to that shown in Fig. 1 show ing the fenderelevated; and Fig. 5 a front elevation looking from the left in Fig. 4.

Like letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe difierent figures of the drawings.

Our invention relates especially to fenders which are adapted for use onelectrically propelled street-cars, the object being to produce a devicewhich will pick up and sustain a form prostrated on the track.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the car platform and B the fender. Fromeach end of the fender there is pendent a lug, b, rigidly secured tosaid fender and projecting below the platform. In the lower ends of saidlug a horizontally arranged shaft, 06, is journaled said shaft bearing abeveled gear, f. A vertical rod, g, is journaled in the platform and onthe inner face of the dasher, said rod being provided with a hand crank,h, at its upper end, and on its lower end with a beveled gear, 1',meshing with the gear, f. By rotating said rod the shaft, d, may beactuated to elevate the fender in manner hereinafter described. Fast tothe shaft, (1, there is a longitudinally arranged plate, j, at eitherend of which there is fixed a laterally arranged hollow sleeve or tube,k. In each of these tubes a rod, m, is fitted to slide longitudinally.Said rods are connected at their outer ends by a cross-bar, 1). Pushsprings, q, are disposed around the rods and bear against a collar, '1',said springs acting expansively to cushion the bar, 10. Stop collars, t,are setscrewed onto the inner ends of the rods, m. Said rods and thebar, p, with the bar, j, constitute the supporting frame of the fenderproper. Said fender proper comprises a series of parallel rods, 2;,mounted to slide longitudinally in the bars, 1), j. Collars, w, aresecured on said rods adjacent the bar, 19, and springs, as, are mountedon said rods between the collars and the bar, j, said springs actingexpansively to force the rods outward from the dasher. Each rod, 12,bears a curved pivoted shoe, 0, shown in detail in Fig. 3. These shoesare pivoted to swing vertically on an ear, y, on each rod, 41, and atorsion spring,'z, best shown in Fig. 5 wound on the pivot of each shoetends to hold its toe downward into engagement with the ground ashereinafter described.

In the toe of each shoe on its under face there is a roller, 15, whichis designed to travel on the ground and support the 'toe of-said shoeand within an inappreciable distance of the pavement. The heels of theshoesare extended beyond their pivots so that when weight is appliedthereto they will tilt. The shoes are of such breadth that beingarranged in the same plane in parallelism they completely cover thespace the width of the track.

To the top of each hanger, b, an arm, 16, is pivoted said arms beingconnectedat their tops by a cross-bar, 17. Each arm is tensioned by aspring, 18, holding it against the dasher. A netting, D,is secured tothe crossbar, 17, to eyes, 19, (see Fig. 5) and to the heels of theshoes, said netting completely filling the space from the shoes to thedasher, as shown in Fig. 1. The torsion spring, a, which tensions theshoes can be regulated by a screw, 25. A

In the use of our improvement, the parts are normally in the positionshown in Fig. l the rollers, 15, of the shoes resting on the ground. Thenetting, D, is loose or looped over the body of the frame forming thefender. Should an obstruction be met on the track the toes of the shoes,0, pass thereunder. Said shoes being inclined vertically in manner shownsuch obstruction or body is forced up on the shoes and reaching theirheel portions, said shoes are tilted by the weight of such body,dropping the same into the netting, as shown by H in Fig. 1. The heelsbeing again elevated when released from the weight of the body by theirsprings, 2', form a guard which prevents such body from rolling out fromthe netting. The spring-tensioned arms, 16, also afford sufficient playto hold the body in the netting.

By cushioning the shoes and employing a series thereof in the mannerdescribed should the body or obstruction on the track be placeddiagonally the shoes striking it give in succession preventing injury tosaid body and assuring its being picked up thereby. This constructionalso prevents the arms or legs of a person being caught or injured inpicking them up.

Any obstruction of great weight will readily be picked up by the fenderas the shoes are under less spring tension than the frame supportingtheir rods. Said shoes are forced backward by contact with the objectuntil they meet the frame bar, 19, when the rods, m, will also pushbackward, and as soon as the body has begun to pass onto the shoes, thesprings will force the shoe bearing rods outward under said body.

To elevate the fender when not in use the handle, 72, is rotated drivingthe shaft, d,and tilting the sleeves, 7a, therewith until the fenderreaches the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this position thehandle, 71, is locked by a latch, 26, pivoted on the fender.

When the handle is released from the latch the weight of the fender willcause it to drop. Any suitable treadle mechanism may be employed so thatthe driver or motor man can trip or release the fender and any othermeans of elevating the same than that shown may be employed ifpreferred.

We do not confine ourselves to employing the particular method ofmounting the shoes described as the springs and rods may be disposed inany desired manner to eifect the result.

Having thus explained our invention, what we claim is- 1. In a carfendera spring-tensioned frame supported from the car, one or more shoesfitted to slide longitudinally of said frame and pivoted to swingvertically thereon and tensioned springs for regulating both movementsof said shoes, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car fender, a spring-tensioned frame supported from the car, aseries of spring-tensioned tilting shoes pivoted on the forward end ofsaid frame and fitted to yield longitudinally of the car and a nettingconnecting said frame adjacent the shoes with the car dasher,substantially as described.

3. In a car fender, a series of spring-tensioned rods supported from thecar and fitted to slide longitudinally thereof in combination with aseries of tilting spring-tensioned shoes mounted on the forward ends ofsaid rods and a netting connecting said shoes with the cardasher thenetting support being spring-tensioned, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car fender a spring tensioned frame pivotally supported from thecar and fitted to slide longitudinally thereof in combination with aseries of spring-tensioned pivoted shoes mounted on the forward end ofsaid frame and fitted to slide longitudinally thereof and means forelevating said frame.

5. In a car fender a longitudinally sliding spring-tensioned framesupported from the car in combination with a series of spring-tensionedrods fitted to slide in said frame longitudinally of the car; shoes asO, pivoted to the outer ends of said rods and adjusting mechanism forsaid shoes, substantially as described.

6. In a car-fender a series of spring-tensioned rods fitted to slidelongitudinally of the ear, said rods acting independentlyin combinationwith shoes as O, pivoted on the outer ends of said rods and providedwith rollers for engaging the pavement, substantially as described.

7. In a car fender, a series of spring-tensioned shoes supported fromthe car in the same plane and fitted to slide longitudinally thereof,said shoes being pivoted to swing vertically and arranged to moveindependently, substantially as described.

GEORGE I-IIPWOOD. HORATIO O. BARRETT. STEPHEN PORTER. Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, K. DURFEE.

